Thank you to Cari for the swap! I'm looking forward to reading about a too-good-to-be-true boy!:)
Right now, I'm reading
though I haven't started it yet.
Up next will probably be
Sunday, June 27, 2010
In My Mailbox [12] & What Am I Reading?
Thank you to Cari for the swap! I'm looking forward to reading about a too-good-to-be-true boy!:)
Right now, I'm reading
though I haven't started it yet.
Up next will probably be
Long live school librarians!
I got an email with this video in it - all I can say is, I wish my school librarian had been this cool!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
2 more months
It would have made more sense if I'd posted this on Thursday, but we've got 2 months (less than 2 months now!) until Mockingjay hits stores!I just preordered mine a few minutes ago :) Can't go wrong with amazon
I'm probably the only person in the whole reading universe who hasn't read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire yet, but I know I will love them! I just know it. It's one of those "when you wish upon a star" things that's just certain. Why? Because of all the reliable feedback. For me, my beta-book testers are my brothers Hayden and Hutton (who used to read a lot but sadly don't much anymore), my cousin Kirby, and my roommate Lindsey. Oh, and Juju from Tales of Whimsy.
So...only 2 more months to go! It seems like just yesterday the pretty baby-blue cover was revealed. :)
Who's preordered their copies? Who's going to be busting through the doors on August 24th to grab a copy? And I haven't heard of any, but is anyone going to a release party?
2 more months!
Through a Lens: Danielle!
This week I have Danielle from There's a Book and Chicklit Reviews with me! Her sites are awesome, by the way, so if you get a chance, stop by!
Do you have character crushes? List as many as you want!
This is terrible...I only have two that I can think of right away. Captain Gray from Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien, just so much mystery there. And without a doubt Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse books, just perfect!
If you could be any book character, who would you be?
If you could live in a fictional world, where would you live?
Is there a book/series that everyone seems to have read but you?
The Vampire Academy series, I've wanted to, but just can't seem to find the time.
Which book[s] make you cry?
Which book[s] make you laugh?
Have you ever been unable to finish a book?
What book did you like when you were a kid?
Any cool/funny reading habits or quirks?
When is your favorite time to read? Favorite place?
If you could hang out with an author for a day, who would it be?
If you could adapt a book/series into a movie, it would be...
What is your favorite word?
What is your favorite book quote?
ONE WORD ANSWERS FOR...
Bestsellers Oprah
Book blogs Friends
Vampires Tasty
Science fiction Invaders
Classics Sleeping
Harry Potter Brilliant
If you could recommend ONE BOOK to everyone, it would be...
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, It's a favorite from when I was little and even now as an adult it teaches me to appreciate all I have.
Thanks Danielle! The Giving Tree is one of my favorites, too!
If you'd like to be featured on TAL, leave a comment with your email. :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
YA is funny sometimes...
This is pretty much a post expressing thoughts on the feedback I've gotten from The Dark Divine... As always, these are just my views, arbitrary as they may be.
I've seen it here on this blog and I've also seen it on my goodreads and on other reviews, and now I've talked to 2 people in real life who have echoed this - but apparently The Dark Divine has received negative/mixed reviews. In my own snide mind, I can just take a wild guess as to why. And it just makes me shake my head and want to post my TDD review over and over again, if only to get the word out. Despite what it may seem, I do not like writing negative reviews, so it makes me giddy with glee to write positive ones. And lately, I've had the chance to do that a lot (Sabriel, TDD, Eyes Like Stars, Wildwood Dancing).
So now I come to my obvious thesis: YA is funny sometimes. It really is. It is completely beyond me that a book like The Dark Divine would get mixed and negative reviews. I really, REALLY do not see it. Yet other books like Hush Hush, The Iron King, Tithe and Bleeding Violet (to name a few) generally get glowing reviews, which read more like endorsements. It's just funny sometimes. Seriously, I would find the opposite true. Have you ever felt like you were in the minority on a certain book? On a more lighthearted side, I get that a lot with Twilight, haha! Somebody actually said to me on goodreads "I bet you're one of those Twilight fans" as if that was some kind of pejorative.
I love YA, it's definitely (along with MG) the main genre that I read, but it sure can be funny sometimes. I think it's funny the types of things that readers will let an author get away with in a book, or the things they don't mind reading, and the things that readers on the other hand don't like. Like I said, I must be missing out on something obvious, but I cannot think of anything that would warrant such negative reviews for TDD.
To each her own, I guess, but I just wanted to do a little pro-TDD post again and pose the question, because it sure seems awkward sometimes to feel like somehow you're missing or not getting something. Hmmm!
I've seen it here on this blog and I've also seen it on my goodreads and on other reviews, and now I've talked to 2 people in real life who have echoed this - but apparently The Dark Divine has received negative/mixed reviews. In my own snide mind, I can just take a wild guess as to why. And it just makes me shake my head and want to post my TDD review over and over again, if only to get the word out. Despite what it may seem, I do not like writing negative reviews, so it makes me giddy with glee to write positive ones. And lately, I've had the chance to do that a lot (Sabriel, TDD, Eyes Like Stars, Wildwood Dancing).
So now I come to my obvious thesis: YA is funny sometimes. It really is. It is completely beyond me that a book like The Dark Divine would get mixed and negative reviews. I really, REALLY do not see it. Yet other books like Hush Hush, The Iron King, Tithe and Bleeding Violet (to name a few) generally get glowing reviews, which read more like endorsements. It's just funny sometimes. Seriously, I would find the opposite true. Have you ever felt like you were in the minority on a certain book? On a more lighthearted side, I get that a lot with Twilight, haha! Somebody actually said to me on goodreads "I bet you're one of those Twilight fans" as if that was some kind of pejorative.
I love YA, it's definitely (along with MG) the main genre that I read, but it sure can be funny sometimes. I think it's funny the types of things that readers will let an author get away with in a book, or the things they don't mind reading, and the things that readers on the other hand don't like. Like I said, I must be missing out on something obvious, but I cannot think of anything that would warrant such negative reviews for TDD.
To each her own, I guess, but I just wanted to do a little pro-TDD post again and pose the question, because it sure seems awkward sometimes to feel like somehow you're missing or not getting something. Hmmm!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Review - SABRIEL
Sabriel - Garth Nix
Genre: YA Fantasy; book 1 in the Abhorsen (US)/Old Kingdom (AUS) trilogy
# of pages: 311 (pb)
Publisher (US): Harper Collins
Recommended for: HS & beyond!
Genre: YA Fantasy; book 1 in the Abhorsen (US)/Old Kingdom (AUS) trilogy
# of pages: 311 (pb)
Publisher (US): Harper Collins
Recommended for: HS & beyond!
My Thoughts: WOW.Sabriel completely took my breath away.
The fantasy elements were phenomenal: fun, interesting, and unique. So unique, in fact, that it took me a few chapters to wrap my mind around the world Nix created. It's not simply high fantasy, it's more of a parallel world: in one country, the culture seems to mirror an early-20th-century England, and in the other country seems to mirror a more medieval setting. So one culture has technology, the other has magic. Very, very cool!
As for the characters, Sabriel, Touchstone, and Mogget (a spirit who takes the form of a white cat) made an entertaining trio. Nix's characters are written with a great balance of emotion and action, though I will admit to wishing that the romance played a bigger role. (I know, what can I say? I like love stories...*facepalm*) I thoroughly enjoyed Sabriel - once again, a girl who's strong without being snarky. Touchstone was definitely my favorite character, mainly because I don't really see a lot of guys like him in fiction. So many YA love interests seem to have this inherent haughtiness, so it was neat to see a guy who (while not a wuss) struggled with fear and insecurity. It was really cool to watch him come to terms with his guilt and his past. And he's just so sweet!
And Mogget the cat was hilarious and just a little creepy. I tell you what, if he and Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series had a tomcat alley fight, Mogget would WIN. He fights dirty!
But man, oh man, the ACTION of Sabriel was just riveting! I really do think that the best way to write entertaining fantasy that keeps readers' interest is to have some kind of journey or quest. The characters and plot keep from getting stagnate by being in some kind of state of motion, both physically and mentally. And it's just edge-of-your-seat reading!
Final Grade:
The fantasy elements were phenomenal: fun, interesting, and unique. So unique, in fact, that it took me a few chapters to wrap my mind around the world Nix created. It's not simply high fantasy, it's more of a parallel world: in one country, the culture seems to mirror an early-20th-century England, and in the other country seems to mirror a more medieval setting. So one culture has technology, the other has magic. Very, very cool!
As for the characters, Sabriel, Touchstone, and Mogget (a spirit who takes the form of a white cat) made an entertaining trio. Nix's characters are written with a great balance of emotion and action, though I will admit to wishing that the romance played a bigger role. (I know, what can I say? I like love stories...*facepalm*) I thoroughly enjoyed Sabriel - once again, a girl who's strong without being snarky. Touchstone was definitely my favorite character, mainly because I don't really see a lot of guys like him in fiction. So many YA love interests seem to have this inherent haughtiness, so it was neat to see a guy who (while not a wuss) struggled with fear and insecurity. It was really cool to watch him come to terms with his guilt and his past. And he's just so sweet!
And Mogget the cat was hilarious and just a little creepy. I tell you what, if he and Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series had a tomcat alley fight, Mogget would WIN. He fights dirty!
But man, oh man, the ACTION of Sabriel was just riveting! I really do think that the best way to write entertaining fantasy that keeps readers' interest is to have some kind of journey or quest. The characters and plot keep from getting stagnate by being in some kind of state of motion, both physically and mentally. And it's just edge-of-your-seat reading!
Final Grade:
Monday, June 21, 2010
Review - THE DARK DIVINE
The Dark Divine - Bree Despain
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
# of pages: 371 (ARC)
Publisher: Egmont
Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: 13/14+
The Dark Divine @ Parental Book Reviews
My Thoughts:
Simply put, this book exceeded all my expectations.
YA is fun, but let's be honest: sometimes...it can be a little repetitive: you feel like you're reading slightly altered versions of the same story over and over. Ordinary girl meets dark, paranormal bad-boy and "complications" ensue. What kinds of complications? Well, usually the same ones.
In all honesty, The Dark Divine's formula is similar to other popular YA books out there, but there are so many aspects of the story that are very original. For example, authors have been using folk tales/fairytales, myths, and even other classic books as their inspiration for awhile, but this is the first one that I've read that is based off a parable. And Bree Despain's take on werewolves - which I'm sure we're all familiar with - is so INCREDIBLY original and actually makes sense! I remember thinking, "yeah, definitely! Why not?" Bravo, Mrs. Despain!
I don't mind sharing that I connected with this book on a personal level, too. I'm the granddaughter and niece of pastors, and I thought having a pastor's daughter for a main character was exceptionally refreshing. I connected with the Divine family and especially liked the idea of useful, responsible parent-figures. I think we can all agree that parent figures in YA are frequently absent, so it was nice to have helpful parent characters. Now, I do think that sometimes the Divine family was portrayed a little too...stereotypically... Grace and Jude are great characters, and I DO know boys like Jude, so no, I don't believe that he's "unrealistic" at all - but sometimes they both acted a little too contrived (my cousins are children of a pastor, and they do NOT spend their free time at food pantries, nor do they discuss clothing drives. Maybe they *should*, but...)But that one little mention is the only thing that I can think of to say about this book: aside from the Divine family's kind-of blatant portrayal, all the characters were very real, very well-rounded, and easy to relate to. For me, it's always a plus to have grounded, practical characters with values and a good head on their shoulders. Now Grace isn't perfect, and there is one point in the story in which she is swayed by popular opinion rather than rationality, but hey, no one is rational all the time. Jude is a really interesting character, too. At the beginning, he was a little too Richie Cunningham for me, but as the story progressed, he really turned interesting. As the Prodigal Son scenario played out, both he and Daniel became incredibly fun to explore.
Daniel and Grace's relationship was fun to read. It wasn't rushed, but it didn't beat around the bush; it wasn't abusive, it wasn't superficial, it wasn't inappropriate. Rather, I found Grace's devotion to Daniel and her (ultimate) willingness to help him (despite one brief stint of doubt and assumptions) very touching.
Even though this book really doesn't have a designated villain, the plot remained strong and interesting throughout, and the story was evenly paced and for me, never dragged. The Dark Divine was a fast read, but that's mainly because I was so engrossed, I could not put it down!
I really can't praise this book enough. Yes, there are religious elements in this story, and at times, it read like a Christian Fiction novel, (I don't read much of that particular genre, but I will admit that portions of the book read that way) but take it from me, this book is not one to miss. It's not CF, it's not designed to be CF, so please, PLEASE don't let that possibly dissuade you from giving this a try. If there's ever a YA book that I would recommend - besides Eyes Like Stars and Wildwood Dancing - it's The Dark Divine.
FINAL GRADE:
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
# of pages: 371 (ARC)
Publisher: Egmont
Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: 13/14+
The Dark Divine @ Parental Book Reviews
My Thoughts:Simply put, this book exceeded all my expectations.
YA is fun, but let's be honest: sometimes...it can be a little repetitive: you feel like you're reading slightly altered versions of the same story over and over. Ordinary girl meets dark, paranormal bad-boy and "complications" ensue. What kinds of complications? Well, usually the same ones.
In all honesty, The Dark Divine's formula is similar to other popular YA books out there, but there are so many aspects of the story that are very original. For example, authors have been using folk tales/fairytales, myths, and even other classic books as their inspiration for awhile, but this is the first one that I've read that is based off a parable. And Bree Despain's take on werewolves - which I'm sure we're all familiar with - is so INCREDIBLY original and actually makes sense! I remember thinking, "yeah, definitely! Why not?" Bravo, Mrs. Despain!
I don't mind sharing that I connected with this book on a personal level, too. I'm the granddaughter and niece of pastors, and I thought having a pastor's daughter for a main character was exceptionally refreshing. I connected with the Divine family and especially liked the idea of useful, responsible parent-figures. I think we can all agree that parent figures in YA are frequently absent, so it was nice to have helpful parent characters. Now, I do think that sometimes the Divine family was portrayed a little too...stereotypically... Grace and Jude are great characters, and I DO know boys like Jude, so no, I don't believe that he's "unrealistic" at all - but sometimes they both acted a little too contrived (my cousins are children of a pastor, and they do NOT spend their free time at food pantries, nor do they discuss clothing drives. Maybe they *should*, but...)But that one little mention is the only thing that I can think of to say about this book: aside from the Divine family's kind-of blatant portrayal, all the characters were very real, very well-rounded, and easy to relate to. For me, it's always a plus to have grounded, practical characters with values and a good head on their shoulders. Now Grace isn't perfect, and there is one point in the story in which she is swayed by popular opinion rather than rationality, but hey, no one is rational all the time. Jude is a really interesting character, too. At the beginning, he was a little too Richie Cunningham for me, but as the story progressed, he really turned interesting. As the Prodigal Son scenario played out, both he and Daniel became incredibly fun to explore.
Daniel and Grace's relationship was fun to read. It wasn't rushed, but it didn't beat around the bush; it wasn't abusive, it wasn't superficial, it wasn't inappropriate. Rather, I found Grace's devotion to Daniel and her (ultimate) willingness to help him (despite one brief stint of doubt and assumptions) very touching.
Even though this book really doesn't have a designated villain, the plot remained strong and interesting throughout, and the story was evenly paced and for me, never dragged. The Dark Divine was a fast read, but that's mainly because I was so engrossed, I could not put it down!
I really can't praise this book enough. Yes, there are religious elements in this story, and at times, it read like a Christian Fiction novel, (I don't read much of that particular genre, but I will admit that portions of the book read that way) but take it from me, this book is not one to miss. It's not CF, it's not designed to be CF, so please, PLEASE don't let that possibly dissuade you from giving this a try. If there's ever a YA book that I would recommend - besides Eyes Like Stars and Wildwood Dancing - it's The Dark Divine.
FINAL GRADE:
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